Which public official will have the biggest challenges in 2012?

May 16, 2011|Rick Kazmer | Daily American Debate

District attorney

Safety comes first.

Without a sense of security, no one will want to move to Somerset County or do business here. That’s why the district attorney race is as important to Somerset County’s future as any other contest. If Republican incumbent Jerry Spangler or Democratic challenger Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser fail to stabilize and reduce the amount of crime in the county, residents will leave, home values will fall and the tax base will dwindle.

The county has had a spike in violence during the last year. The most notorious might be the double shooting that happened a few weeks ago in Somerset Borough. It was part of a string of drug-related crimes.

In a recent Daily American question and answer feature, Spangler said that public safety is the No. 1 duty of government. Lazzari-Strasiser, responding to the same question (What defines the role of the DA?), said the position-holder should be a champion of citizens, especially crime victims.

This race won’t be decided until November. The public should take the next six months to learn as much as they can about the candidates before going to the polls.

The DA must demonstrate that the county is not open for drug business. Public safety is as important to county growth as Route 219, Marcellus Shale and business development. The public should consider this when going to the polls.

(City Editor Rick Kazmer can be reached at rickk@dailyamerican.com. Visit dailyamerican.com, where you can read his blog, “The Kazmer Report.”)